Human Friendly Robotics signs $3.55M robotic tiling contract with Foley Tile

Human Friendly Robotics has signed a three-year, $3.55 million agreement with Foley Tile, a Tucson, Arizona flooring contractor. Tyler robots will work alongside the contractor’s installers on projects in Arizona and further afield, with the service priced by installed square foot.

Tyler performs repetitive floor-tile placement, reducing the kneeling, bending and lifting involved in installation. The crew retains preparation, cuts, edges, finishing and quality control. That division allows experienced installers to supervise placement and complete the work around it while the robot maintains a repeatable pace.

Foley Tile has traditionally served southern Arizona. Owners Jerry and Brent Foley plan to use the robots to take on larger projects and work outside that region with their existing skilled crew. The per-square-foot service model gives the contractor access to robotic installation without purchasing the equipment.

The agreement follows Foley Tile’s preview of Tyler’s earlier pilot at Plaza Las Américas in San Juan, Puerto Rico. HFR says the robot and crew achieved a placement pace eight times its human benchmark during that pilot. By the October announcement, Tyler had worked on dozens of jobsites in New York, New Jersey and Puerto Rico, providing deployment experience ahead of the planned expansion with Foley Tile.